The Fastest Week Ever!

That's what I feel like this last seven days has been...the fastest week EVER! Luke was born a week ago...and yet, is still just 39 weeks. He's doing amazingly well and we are so grateful! I was worried about possible NICU time, but we were just so blessed with good health and no NICU need from the start!

We went to the pediatrician yesterday and Luke had gained back 3 oz. since we left the hospital. He was 5 lbs., 10 oz. when we left the hospital and was 5 lbs., 13 oz. yesterday--which was only 3 days!! Needless to say, he's eating well, we think. It's hard to tell with a breast-fed baby, especially with a lazy little feeder, but he's gaining appropriately, pooping and pee-peeing appropriately, and doesn't seem to be starving so we guess all is well. As I found out after Matthew died, I'm good at producing milk, and Luke enjoys the fact that he doesn't have to work much to eat.

Slowly but surely we are working on the effort he puts forth and it's discrepancy between the amount of effort *I* put forth!

Luke is such a good baby. Really...he is SO mellow. Dr. Sweeney said if he was anything like he was in utero, he'd be feisty as hell, and yet, he's SO not! He still moves around a good bit (when he's awake!) and is SUPER strong still (John said, "No wonder you kept saying 'ouch' and telling me he was strong! He IS strong!), but other than that, he's sooooooo mellow and sweet. He hardly fusses at all--when he is getting his diaper changed or we have the nerve to dress him in warm clothes. He loves, loves, loves being swaddled and we are actually double swaddling--a receiving blanket swaddle and then one of those cheater swaddlers that are totally worth the money for just the convenience of the middle of the night, if nothing else. He's pretty easy to console, and today, found his fingers so I have a feeling this will make consoling him even easier.

He sleeps a lot. A LOT. Most of the day. And night. It's just in the day, he doesn't seem to mind his bouncer or glider (LOVE his glider! Thanks, Jen!) and for some reason, at night, he'd prefer to be held.

I'm willing to oblige. He is just so sweet.

We've been calling him Little Bit or Little Peanut because he is just so little. I don't think I've held a baby quite this little. Even friends with twins had babies that were a bit bigger than Luke is now. I love how teeny he is and how snuggly he is when I hold him. I love that my voice and my touch calm him down in a way that others sometimes can't make happen. Obviously, I just love him. He doesn't have very many clothes that fit him--which is funny since he has SO MANY clothes!! That's ok; I know he'll be grown into them soon enough so I don't want to rush a single second.

Cloth diapering is going well and John totally became a true believer yesterday at the pediatrician. Dr. S. opened the disposable diaper we had on Luke (since we were traveling, John reasoned) and there were all these gel crystals from the diaper. Gross. John has since decided that even traveling, we can make cloth work. I knew he'd come around! He DID have a big blowout today, and John said, "Are these diapers going to do this all the time?" I think the issue was that Little Bit is a LITTLE BIT and it was, for lack of more polite language, a pretty wet and juicy poopy that went right through the his little leg hole because of his little chicken legs. It went all over John, the sofa, his blanket...it was quite humorous for us both. (More for me, since he did it to his daddy and saved his mama!)

Daddy wants it to be known that Luke is very photogenic. I second that. He smiles a lot and is pretty alert--when he is awake! John is loving taking pictures all the time, and so am I. Very easy to do a picture a day, which is my goal for Luke, as well as for this year.

The dogs are adjusting well--Dixie is really sort of the guardian--letting us know the baby is crying or whatever. It's funny that SHE'S the one who is doing this! Sam is wonderful with kids, but he has no idea of what to do with baby-babies and doesn't understand why the attention is no longer on him. He is even more bull-in-the-china-shop than he normally is, so we sort of watch him carefully around the baby. He'd never intentionally hurt him, Sam's just not aware of how big and goofy he is.

I'm tired. It's a good tired, of course, but I'm tired. Mom and John are around, which gives me some opportunity to nap some during the day, but when I try to sleep, my mind races and images come flashing back to me over and over. It's a story for another day. Still figuring all the emotions that go with these days out.

Luke, Luke, Luke how you are loved!!! We just can't even begin to tell you. Birth stories and doctor visit updates and more pictures to come....

YUMMY!

Mommy kisses me and I kiss her back!

Hello, bright-eyes!

"Am I wearing ducks????"

My mommy can't get enough of me!

On the way to the pediatrician. Am I cute or what?

I just finished eating! YUM!

Dixie is keeping watch...not sure of what to make of things!

Mommy says daddy is a baby-hog!!!